Adjustment? Adjustment!

January 27, 2010 at 8:37 pm (Uncategorized) (, , , , , , , , )

On the up side: I mostly no longer walk into Sunreaver’s Sanctuary, and I’ve actually avoided entirely going to Horde camps or trying to click on Horde flight points and thus getting horribly mauled by some wind riders. By the way, Paladin hit 60 last night and got her a griffin, and they’re much cooler than wind riders!

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On the down side: So far the hardest thing to adjust to is learning what goes where in the world. It seems to me like the world, in terms of quest hubs, cities, and city/town connections, is a lot less optimal than for the Alliance when compared to Horde, especially in eastern kingdoms. A Theramore / Auberdine boat would solve a lot of it, though.

The worst of it, though, speaking of Theramore. I was in Menethil, waiting for the boat to Theramore, when someone else on the dock whispers me that they forgot how to get into Darkshore. So I think for a moment and reply that the quickest way to get to Dustwallow is you go from Menethil to Stormwind, then down to Booty Bay and hop the boat to Ratchet, and run down The Barrens. As I finish saying it hits me – we’re WAITING for the BOAT TO THERAMORE, which, derp, is in DUSTWALLOW. I quickly fix – AS THE BOAT ARRIVES and apologize.

Of the things I miss from Winterhoof, among them is Quin’loki, my friend and the best damn priest (sorry, Amber!) I’ve ever had the bwee of running with, who also had the uncanny ability to generally find the quickest travel route between two nodes, thus earning her the nickname (from me) of Map’loki. WTB Alliance version?

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On the “…” side, it’s still a trip seeing myself as a Drenny … Drenai … Drain-I. Chupathingie. Spacegoat. And a female! In fact all three toons I’m leveling right now are women; two spacegoats and a human. I’m sorry, I don’t like being INFINITE COMIC BARREL CHEST, itty bitty walking legs, or STEROID FOREARMS OF DEWM. I do roll Dwarf, Gnome, and Worgen male. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just weird to see. Farimu more than Math, actually (I miss the tusks), because once I found out the Pygmy Oil // Orb of the Sin’dorei / Orb of Deception / Savory Deviate Delight trick, I would play around with it (ah, hah @ trap!Math ).

But now that the Paladin is in Outland, we shall see, if she runs into Thrallmar. Or Falcon Watch. Or any of the other Horde-only towns. Garandar is calling to come sit at the bonfire…

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On the “hey this is fun” side: I’ve now ret-tanked ST, prot-tanked Dire Maul East with a fairly good group after the Doucheknight left, and had a pretty abortive LBRS group. Seriously, WoW? LBRS? For a random group, when a bunch of us haven’t even ever been there? Well – I was there three times. When achievements first came out, so like a year and a half ago – achievement run. Then I found out about the pets. Then I found out about the UBRS key. I barely found my way through the maze then! I did alright, I think, even when someone pulled two additional groups – we killed the first boss, despite someone pressing me to “GO” if I took even ten seconds to type something in guild chat or sit to drink water – needs more Avoidance, for more Mana! Oooor, wtb Divine Plea, please? … and then the same impatient “oh I’m so leet” Paladin falls down a pit and pulls about 20 trolls. Yeah, we put up a valiant fight but even my kickass Pally healer (Temnyi of Conjured Food For Thought) can’t keep me alive through the whole thing, partially because I can’t pick them up fast enough, and we all die.

Which means we now need to find our way through Searing Gorge and back to Blackrock Spire, and then into UBRS. Someone leaves without a word. Paladin disconnects, and despite having jumped ship, I tell ya, it felt satisfying to kick him and ignore him. The last DPS leaves, and we decide – hey, I came here at 58, Tem hit 58 mid-instance, and it’d be much better to go to Outland.

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A final thought: Ret Paladins are kind of like Enhancement Paladins – they’re boring as hell for ~40-50 levels, then they start getting a lot of fun. For Shamans, it’s Dual Wield and Stormstrike. For Paladins, its Crusader Strike (or Divine Storm), so you’re not spending half the time just auto-attacking. Paladin’s now become pretty fun, especially when I can pull mobs of undead or demons (VITALLY IMPORTANT: when they don’t have gobs of CC like knockdown and freeze. I’ve learned this the hard way – after a couple times x.x) – like in Plaguelands and Hellfire. 😀

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Things To Do In Azeroth When You’re Blue

January 11, 2010 at 11:22 pm (stories) (, , )

Dear Mathorvos,

Yes, I know you’re confused. You went to bed one day a bishie blood elf hunter, curled up in one of the Hammocks of the Dirty Beast because 99% of the time you still log out at an inn even though you’re 80, and woke up the next with a sore head, blue boobies, and in the middle of the Exodar, wondering what the hell just happened.

I know you miss having Cam Clarke’s voice, but we all do. We all do. I know you’re not yet used to being Alliance. Or being a chick. It’s still weird to see you! But despite the hooves, the tail, the horns, and, yes, the blue boobies, you’re still the same ol’ hunter. When you whistle, Spiffykitty comes running, and is still the same awesome cat you’ve had for 61 levels. When you point at stuff, things die. You just now sound russian. And female. And look at it like this – while we all agree that Garrosh Hellscream is just awful, you can NOW kill him. You will, when Cata comes out. Lok’tar Ogar! Uhm, I mean, For The Alliance! Yes. Indeed.

But this also means when you get to Dalaran, when you want to log at an inn, or look at badge gear, or get the cooking daily, or get a portal, don’t walk into Sunreaver’s Sanctuary! They don’t recognize you anymore! Even after twenty times, they’re not going to just go “oh hai there” and let you in to reward your endless persistence or accede to a year’s worth of developed habit. You’re just going to have to learn to go to the place with the beer garden. Yes, there is a beer garden now. The tavern isn’t as welcoming, and there’s no big feast laid out, but it’s got Dwarves serving teh beer!

No, I know you got smashed before you woke up a Draenei, but I promise it won’t happen again! Your new home is better and not gonna turn out all untenable on you. Promise!

Likewise, I know you’ve got rapport with all the tellers at the North Bank, it’s where you’ve dumped thousands of gold and mats into the guild bank and filled your bank with glowing things, but when people are looking to do business, on “the steps of the bank”, it’s South Bank. Yeah, it’s not as cool, but hey, gold is always cool, and service might mean bigger tips than having them come to you. South Bank now! Just be glad it’s not West Bank.

Sure, It’s a kind of despondent feeling not knowing your way around anymore, waking up in The Exodar and not even knowing how to get back to Northrend without a port, your potions of water walking or panoply of winged mounts from drakes to gryphons to hyppogriffs unable to just travel there by foot and flight, and you had to stop and ask a nice gnome warlock for directions, but now you know where you’re going, and you even only tried to land on Ogrim’s Hammer once.

… Boy, we learned that lesson fast.

Just, a final note: when you’re riding around on your nice new Elekk and being maybe even taller than a troll (since they never mastered the /posture emote), remember to DUCK. Those doors you could just run through before, on your raptor? Now they won’t let you through. Your helm is starting to get dented, hon.

Still, the new guild sure is fun, isn’t it! I know it’s confusing, but you’ll adjust in time, just like you adjusted to all the old things. Meanwhile, keep having fun!

Signed,
your player.

p.s.: it sure was cool riding into Stormwind on the back of Frostsaber while Mars, Bringer of War hums along in the background, was it? Sure couldn’t do that as a Blood Elf!

—–
—–

“Self?”
“Yes, self?”
“You’re talking to your character.”
“Yes I am.”
“Which is pretty much the same as talking to yourself, isn’t it?”
“Hrm. Yeah, I guess it is.”
“You’re not BRK, self.”
“… No, I’m not.”
“Self, are you going crazy?”
“… Am I going crazy? Why no, no I am not.”

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It’s a conspiracy, I tell you.

January 5, 2010 at 9:41 am (Random) (, , )

So, you can’t change factions while you have mail in your inbox, or auctions posted.

The server doesn’t want me to defect, I swear. I was on my way to the auction house to cancel my last auctions, having decided to change tonight, not tomorrow …

… And what should happen?

“A buyer has been found for your auction of eternal fire.”

WHAM – kept on Winterhoof for an hour.

…It’s a conspiracy, I tell you.

ETA: “Your Character Faction Change is now pending. Please allow several days for the faction change process to complete.” The die is cast, let us see how fortune falls. Here’s, my friends, to a new world and new folks.

Forward! Remembering your roots but growing towards the future! LOK’TAR OGAR.

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